GREENVILLE, S.C. – Belmont Abbey's Ellie Ripchik has been named Female SAAC Student-Athlete of the Year by the Conference Carolinas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the league office announced today. Jacob Oliver of Barton was named the Male winner.

The award marks the third time in its three-year history that a Crusader has been selected as either the male or female honoree.

Ripchik serves at Belmont Abbey's SAAC Secretary and is a member of the softball team as well as the SAAC and Sports Management Club's executive boards. She helped the Belmont Abbey SAAC raise more than $10,000 for Make-A-Wish, a new record.

The SAAC Student-Athlete of the Year (one male and one female) is voted and awarded each April with the award being recognized again at the in-person SAAC meeting each September. Nominees must be a member of Conference Carolinas SAAC. The winners are voted on by each campus SAAC.

Previous Winners
2025-26: Female: Ellie Ripchik, Belmont Abbey Softball; Male: Jacob Oliver, Barton Men's Track & Field
2024-25: Female: Ioanna Katoudi, Barton Women's Tennis; Male: Zach Cramer, Belmont Abbey Men's Volleyball
2023-24: Female: Avery Congleton, Mount Olive Field Hockey; Male: Clayton Zimmerman, Belmont Abbey Men's Volleyball